UAE Debated Concealing Hamas Hit, Cables Show

DUBAI - Diplomatic cables recently released by WikiLeaks indicate authorities in the United Arab Emirates debated whether to keep quiet about the high-profile killing of a Hamas operative in Dubai in January.

The documents also show the UAE sought U.S. help in tracking down details of credit cards Dubai police believe were used by a foreign hit squad involved in the killing. The spy novel-like slaying, complete with faked passports and assassins in disguise, is widely believed to be the work of Israeli secret agents.

Dubai officials didn't discuss Mahmoud al-Mabhouh's death publicly until Jan. 29 - nine days after his body was discovered in a locked airport hotel room and only after Hamas itself announced the killing.

Special Report: WikiLeaks

The delayed acknowledgment followed talks at the highest levels of the UAE government, where officials discussed whether "to say nothing at all, or to reveal more or less the full extent of the UAE's investigations," according to one of the cables.

Police initially referred to the killers as an "experienced criminal gang" traveling on European passports, and only later blamed Israel's Mossad spy agency directly. Hamas also accuses Israel of the slaying.

Israel has never acknowledged that it carried out the hit.

The cables, which were released Saturday, don't shed new light on the killers' identities. But in one, the American ambassador to the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi points to a possible motive behind the UAE's decision to eventually reveal details of the murder.

"Saying nothing would have been perceived as protecting the Israelis and in the end, the UAE chose to tell all," Ambassador Richard Olson wrote. "The statement was carefully drafted not to point any fingers, but the reference ... to a gang with western passports will be read locally as referring to the Mossad."

Another cable outlines a request the Emirates made on Feb. 24 for U.S. help in tracking down cardholder details and other information relating to credit cards linked to the suspected killers.

Dubai police say many of the alleged members of the hit squad used prepaid credit cards issued by a bank in Iowa that were distributed through another U.S. company known as Payoneer.

U.S. embassy officials passed on details of the request to the FBI and urged Washington to handle it urgently, according to the cable.

Dubai's government media office said it was looking into the disclosures and had no immediate comment on Tuesday.

[Lawyers-Guns-n-Money06]

by Jameeelah December 28, 2010 9:53 AM EST

=====================

I think I saw this guy on Comedy Central.

I keel you!!!

[brian_norwood]

I'm taking a poll:

How many folks think Jameela will be taking it up the poopshoot in prison within the next year?

[samael2014]

"Saying nothing would have been perceived as protecting the Israelis and in the end, the UAE chose to tell all," Ambassador Richard Olson wrote. "The statement was carefully drafted not to point any fingers, but the reference ... to a gang with western passports will be read locally as referring to the Mossad."


Why the F**K would anybody create a news article claiming the UAE "debated" concealing Hamas Hit -- but "Released Info to Accuse Israel", and then provide "proof" of this "debate" and rationale for overcoming the debate so as to accuse Israel, as being a U.S. ambassador's cable carefully drafted so as to not point any fingers by mentioning a "gang with Western passports" as being a "local reference to the Mossad"?

I realize the American Propagandist (AP) is not a news organization, and not that even great of a propandist organization, but W. T. F. !?

Why isn't there reporting of a dragging-heels investigation that's been going on what for 8 or 9 months now, when they have PHOTOS captured at the scene of the crime of Mossad members? Someone was MURDERED here. Clearly the UAE is being paid or manipulated by someone to delay prosecution of this crime? That seems like a pretty good story there. One that doesn't require the average human being to turn into a psychopath to understand and relate to a story that muddle's the truth of someone's murder with the reality of the investigation and prosecution of this.

What are you going to report on next, a cable that shows a U.S. ambassador talking about the unprosecuted rape and murder of a child as a potentially deliberate distraction by North Korea to upset the delicate balance of U.S. attempts to make the Chinese government more accountable for it's human rights violations and imprisonment of political dissidents who attempted to reveal ancient Chinese secrets?

Again I realize what the American Propagandist is doing, but what is our "free press" doing?

There's unprosecuted crime here involving Israel. REPORT THAT. I know it's not news that Israeli crimes go unprosecuted, but each one involves victims, including U.S. taxpayers who shouldn't be FORCED to pay another freaking dime to these psychopaths and parasites.

[roadracer9x]

Yeh and Hamas is the Boy Scouts:) Good riddance to bad rubbish.